


Trip Into Town

by basicallyinsanedog



Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Genre: Blushing, Crushes, F/M, Friendship, excuses, reassurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24173779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basicallyinsanedog/pseuds/basicallyinsanedog
Summary: Sally is crushing hard on Jack skellington- that much is obvious to anyone. So what happens when an innocent trip into town turns into something more when poor Sally lets her mind out of her mouth?Takes place before the movie
Relationships: Sally/Jack Skellington
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

Jack x Sally

There are several things Sally Finkelstein has to take into consideration when leaving her tower. For instance, 'What if the doctor notices I'm gone?' Or worse, 'what if he comes looking for me?' 'What am I doing in town today?' 'Where will I hide if he chases me?'. Despite the fear that comes with each thought, Sally typically finds herself leaving anyway, wanting to escape the cold, prison-like tower and her creator who's pretty much holding her hostage at this point. She doesn't care what happens anymore, as long as she's outside.

But that doesn't stop these types of thoughts from remaining in her head as she walks down the path of the outskirts alone, with nothing but a basket in her hand and a needle behind her ear. She had just finished poisoning the doctor, and she could still smell a small scent of deadly nightshade on her hand as she reached up to brush a piece of hair out of her face.  
Usually, the only type of fear-provoking thoughts that clouded her mind at a time like this were about the doctor, but recently, these thoughts have begun to shift ever so slightly. Lately she's had something else on her mind. A different kind of fear.  
'What if I see Jack in town today?' 'What do I say to him?' 'Am I SUPPOSED to talk to him?' 'We're friends, right?'  
The Ragdoll sighed as she continued walking, slightly swinging her basket along side of her. A small blush formed on her cheeks as she spoke his name in her head.  
'Jack...' 

It was no secret that Sally was madly in love with the tall, handsome skeleton. At first, she was perfectly calm about it, managing to keep her cool around him and even managed to successfully deny it to anyone who questioned "why she blushed around him". But, recently, it's gotten a lot worse. Sally was finding it harder and harder to speak fluently around him, stammering and messing up her words most of the time. She also found it difficult to keep still and not stare at him for the most part. Yes, it was gradually getting harder and harder to keep her feelings a secret, and she was sure plenty of people knew about it by now. But...Jack didn't know. And that's what's important.

She wanted to tell him. Oh, so very bad. After all, the two of them can't possibly become more than friends if he had no idea that she was in love with him. But, Sally found that she just didn't have the confidence to confess. Not yet. But the time will come, she's sure. Deep down in her heart, Sally really hoped he felt the same way. She often daydreamed about a future with him. About the two of them becoming a couple, holding hands, kissing... 

And it was these thoughts that were in her head as she walked into town.

———

Sally's eyes scanned around as she entered town square through the main gate. There were quite a bit of people out today, walking around, chatting with friends, shopping at shops, etc. She could smell a mixture of brews and potions as she passed by the Witches Goods store. Her mind went back to before she left the tower, trying to remember the reason she had for leaving in the first place.  
'That's right! I was going to get some more deadly nightshade from the cemetery!' She remembered, 'Then...why did I come into town?'  
Sally really wasn't sure. Her feet seemed to take her here when she was swept up in thought walking down the crooked path of the outskirts. She must have taken that trail out of habit...

She was suddenly dragged out of thought, when movement caught her eye. She turned around, facing the direction of the fountain, which stood right in the center of town square. Her breath got caught in her throat as her eyes fell upon the thing that had caught her attention.

Jack Skellington. 

He was standing next to the fountain with one hand on his hip, the other at his side. There was a small crowd of people around him, not many, but at least 4 or 5. Most notably the Mayor, who was standing at Jack's side smiling happily with a paper or two in his hands. Jack was talking to them, smiling like he usually does. Unfortunately, Sally was just out of earshot, so she couldn't make out what he was saying.  
She just watched him for a few moments, unsure of what to do. Should she go over? Say hello? Or just stay put? She wouldn't want to intrude...  
She could feel the heat build up on her face the longer she stared, hoping no one would notice. Taking a big breath, she slowly crept over toward the group.

"-...and THAT'S why Jack is and always WILL BE the king of Halloween!" The Mayor said, half shouting. He smiled wider as he gripped onto his papers. "I do believe he's doing much better than LAST year! We haven't had this much free time in I don't know how long!" Jack smiled, closing his eyes momentarily and tilting his head.  
"Ah- Thank you, Mayor. I've just been able to focus a little better on getting work done quicker this year is all"  
Sally felt her heart thump when she heard his voice again. It's been too long....  
She could feel the warmth return to her cheeks. She loved this feeling.  
The mayor replied, "Well, I'm certainly glad, Jack"  
A few people in the small crowd nodded in agreement, and Jack opened his mouth to reply, when he suddenly caught sight of Sally. He stopped.

The two made eye contact for only a second, but to Sally, it felt like it could've been years. A mixture of giddiness and nervousness swelled inside the pit of her stomach, causing her leaves to tingle. The feeling only got worse when he smiled at her. She could feel the heat on her cheeks get hotter the longer she looked at his face. His adorable, handsome face...  
Sally was so mesmerized by his eye sockets, she barely noticed that he was walking towards her, followed by the Mayor. The crowd scooted as well, giving them plenty of room. 

"Sally!" The skeleton began, "Hello there. Lovely to see you out today." He told her, still smiling warmly at her. Sally felt like she was going to melt. The way he said her name....  
Looking around, she noticed several pairs of eyes on her, and she snapped back into reality as she realized that they were waiting on her response.  
"O-Oh! Y-yeah..hi.." she brushed her hair behind her shoulder. "Um..th-thank you. It's very...l-lovely to see you as well.." She did her best to smile at him, gulping. He didn't seem to take much notice of her shyness. 

"Thank you. So, what have you been up to lately? I know it's been quite a bit since we've last talked."

"Oh..um..." She played with her hands, unsure how to answer him. "I've just...been doing what I usually do, I-I guess...I made a new dress the other day..." 

"That sounds wonderful, Sally! I'd love to see it sometime. I'm very glad you've found something to do that you enjoy." 

The ragdoll blushed again and smiled wider, opening her mouth to reply, before getting cut off. 

"-Sally Sews?" Someone in the crowd asked. Jack nodded. 

"She sure does. And, I think she's one of the best seamstresses I know." He winked at her. Sally's leaves began tingling again.

"Oh..I'm n-not really a seamstress-"

"Can you make baby clothes?" A woman suddenly asked from behind her. Sally turned around. Standing behind her was a lady, who looked just a little bit older than sally. She had long, straight, dark black hair, pale skin, and two horns poking out the top of her head. She was wearing a red dress that came down a little past her knees- and she was also clearly pregnant. At least 7 or 8 months along. Sally's nerves suddenly calmed, and she momentarily forgot that her crush was standing inches away from her, as she answered the woman's question.

"Ah..well...I've never tried before, but, I'm sure it can't be too hard." The woman smiled.  
"Oh, thank you, Sally! Would you mind too terribly if I asked you to make me some for when my baby is born..?" She placed a hand on her stomach. "I have some coins I can pay you"  
Sally shook her head.  
"Oh, I don't mind at all! I can do that! And payment won't be necessary." She smiled at the expecting mother, who smiled wider in return.  
"Oh, thank you, thank you! And here I was worried I wasn't going to have any baby clothes.." She gave Sally a quick hug.  
"It's no problem at all!" The Ragdoll assured. "I'm happy to help you...and, congratulations."  
"Thank you so much!" Sally nodded to her one last time, before they both turned around to face the small crowd again, who had been watching everything the whole time. Sally's eyes specifically fell immediately onto Jack. 

The skeleton made eye contact with her again, and he was still wearing that same warm smile. "That's very sweet of you, Sally" he complimented. Sally could feel the hotness return to her face at his tone of voice. The lady came up behind her and patted her hand.  
"Isn't it? That's such a lovely talent you have, dear" The woman told her. "Why, someday you'll even be able to make clothing for your own children! Without having to bother someone else to do it! Very, very lovely." 

It suddenly felt like Sally's brain just... broke. A dizziness swept over her like she's never felt before. Her heartbeat quickened.

Her...own..children....? 

Such a thing had never even occurred to her before. Not at all. I mean, Sally loved small children but.. actually HAVING her own? Just the thought gave her goosebumps, especially when her eyes flicked over to Jack momentarily, who's facial expression hadn't changed. It felt like she'd been hit with a truck, several emotions at once. Sally did her best to pull herself together in order to reply.

"Y-Y-Yeah...thank y-you..-"

"-Awwww can you imagine?" Someone from the crowd shouted, cutting her off. "Sally with her own kids..She would make a fantastic mother! Don't you think so Jack?" The skeleton looked up.

"Hm? Oh, yes." He turned his gaze back to the Ragdoll, making eye contact once more. "I do think so" Sally swore she saw his smile widen. 

She was in a complete and total state of utter bliss. Here was Jack Skellington, not only the pumpkin king, but also the guy who she happened to have a huge crush on, standing in front of her saying that he thinks she would make a fantastic mother to possible future kids! Sally felt like she couldn't function properly- her limbs were shaky and her head was spinning. But she couldn't just stand there! She had to say SOMETHING! She sighed in an attempt to collect herself, but it didn't work too well. Her eyes went half lidded, as she accidentally blurted out, -

"You would make the perfect father-~"

".....what..?"

....

Everything got very quiet, very fast.  
Sally felt panic shoot throughout her whole body in a matter of seconds. If she thought her brain was broken before, then it definitely was now. She couldn't move. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. 

She did not mean to say that.

Jack's smile fell off his face, and his eye sockets widened. He just stared at her. Sally inhaled sharply before breaking the awkward silence, a very obvious hint of panic and embarrassment in her tone. She needed to fix this, and make up an excuse for it fast.

"I-I mean- I th-think that -y-you would m-make a better father than I would a mother! I mean you probably have more experience with kids than I do anyway and you're like a really nice guy and stuff and everyone likes you so if anyone would be good with taking care of kids it would be you instead of me is what I meant because everyone knows that you like children and stuff and you-you-you would make a better father than I would a mother I mean I'm not saying that I wouldn't make a good mother I mean if you think that than thank you but I still agree with my original statement oh wow look at the time" Sally spun around. "Well now it's getting late so I better get home because you know I gotta make supper for the doctor and I can get to work on those baby clothes thanks for having me in town bye-bye!!" 

And with that, Sally finished her rant, squeezing her eyes tight and scurrying off, as quickly as possible. Jack just stared after her. He didn't move. She left the same way she came in, and didn't open her eyes until she was safe, sound, and alone in the outskirts. 

———

The poor, exhausted, and still rather embarrassed Ragdoll collapsed against the stone wall. She could see her tower in the distance, and as much as she wanted to get away from everyone in town after what just happened, she wasn't ready to go back yet. She sighed deeply, covering her face with her hands as she sat on the ground, her basket in her lap. 

What was she supposed to do now? She pretty much just ruined any chance she may have had to possibly be with him, heck, she pretty much just ruined their entire friendship. He would be so upset with her. She could never face him again....oh, why did she have to be so shy and awkward?? If only she had the confidence to-

"....Sally?" 

Sally stiffened. Uh oh. She knew that voice. This wasn't good. He followed her, didn't he? Great.  
She felt him sit down next to her, but she didn't dare uncover her face. 

"Sally..? Are you okay?"

His voice came again. It sounded oddly...soothing. Sally sighed in defeat. He wasn't going to leave without talking to her, was he? Slowly, she uncovered her face, lifting her head to look at him. Unfortunately, she didn't have it in her to look him in the eyes just yet. His expression was filled with worry. She tried to smile, and even give a fake laugh. 

"W-what? Me? Ahhahah, o-of course! Why wouldn't I be..?" She forced a smile. Jack's frown stuck- he clearly didn't believe her. 

"Sally please, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He hesitated before adding, "...I'm not upset" 

Sally dropped the act, and let her smile fall. But, her eyes sparked hope when he told her this. 

"You're...you're not?"  
"Of course not. You just worded your sentence wrong." He gave her a small smile. "It's alright. Happens to everyone. Once you explained yourself, I knew what you meant."  
She gave a weak smile as well, still feeling embarrassed. But hey, at least he believed her 'excuse'.  
"Y-Yeah..." She stammered. "I'm sorry..."  
"Don't be. Really, Sally, you're perfectly fine. I just wanted to make sure you weren't too embarrassed. We wouldn't want to ruin our friendship now, would we?"  
Wow. It was as if he had read her mind. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.  
"No..we wouldn't. Thank you, Jack..." He nodded.  
"You're welcome. Now..."  
He stood up and brushed off his suit before turning and offering her his hand. She hesitated before taking it, but she felt happiness return to her when she felt his grip tighten around her hand as he helped her up. Her panic was starting to fade.  
"Let's just put this behind us, shall we?" She nodded. 

"Gladly..."

Their eyes met once again and they both smiled at each other. Sally blushed.

Maybe..Just maybe...  
There's still a chance...


	2. Jack’s Point Of View

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The same story, just from Jack’s perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The exact same story but from Jack's perspective this time**  
> **reminder this comes before the movie**

Jack Skellington was bored today, to say the least.  
After all the work he managed to get done the day before, he had a bunch of time off for the day. Normally, he'd have enjoyed some time away from all the stress of planning his holiday, but, something didn't feel right, and he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.   
Maybe it was the fact that instead of spending his time at home, or with his beloved dog Zero, he was standing in town, engaging in a conversation with a small crowd around him of about 4 or 5 people.   
Now, it's not that Jack didn't like them, or didn't enjoy their company- it's just that being followed around everywhere you go can get so tiresome. Especially when you could be doing just about anything else. However, this is just part of the fame that comes with being the Pumpkin King- something that the skeleton has learned to deal with.   
The mayor was standing next to him, blabbing on and on about something, but Jack didn't care enough to listen. His mind was.....elsewhere....

'Hmm...I wonder if I'll see Sally in town today....'

He scratched the side of his skull. Recently, Jack found himself thinking about his Ragdoll friend a lot, and, to be honest, he really wasn't sure why.   
Sure, she was one of his closest friends, and possibly the most tolerable female citizen in the entire town, but, why would that cause her to be on his mind? It was almost as if there were some sort of feelings there that he couldn't recognize. It was confusing to him.   
Jack shook his skull to clear it, placing a hand on his hip. As much as he enjoyed thinking about his friend, it began to bother him. He just wanted an answer as to....why? Why was he always thinking about her?

'It's a shame she doesn't get out more often....I wonder why that is. It's always so lovely to see her..that pretty red hair..her gorgeous eyes... and lips...not to mention her beautiful fa—W-wait! Jeez, calm down, Jack, this is your friend you're talking about! You shouldn't think such inappropriate things about her! What's gotten into you lately?'

He shook his skull once more, internally scolding himself- and feeling slightly embarrassed despite knowing that no one here could read minds. Maybe a distraction like listening to the Mayor would help. Jack turned his attention back to the rambling politician. 

"-and THAT'S why Jack is and always WILL BE the King of Halloween!" He exclaimed, tightening his grip on the papers that were in his hand. "I do believe he's doing much better than LAST year! We haven't had this much free time in I don't know how long!" Ah. Of course. More praise. The skeleton closed his eyes and cocked his head to the side with a smile, trying to look and sound as pleased as possible, while also trying to sound like he had been paying attention.   
"Ah- Thank you, Mayor. I've just been able to focus a little better on getting work done quicker this year is all" He answered, shrugging slightly. It's not that Jack didn't appreciate his compliment, it's just that after so many times repeating the same old praise, it loses its touch.  
"Well, I'm certainly glad, Jack" The Mayor replied, nodding slightly and smiling happily. A few others in the crowd were nodding as well. 

The king opened his mouth to reply to them, when a flash of blue and red caught his eye. He turned his head to get a better look, and was delightfully surprised to find his sockets making eye contact with none other than his lovely lady friend, Sally. The same lady friend he had just been thinking of.  
A smile spread wide across his face- Jack was positively thrilled to see her! Surely, he had to go say something! They were good friends, after all. He walked toward her, moving through the small crowd with ease. He widened his smile as he came up next to her.

"Sally! Hello there. Lovely to see you out today." He began, his smile staying plastered on his face as he looked at her with a sparkle of excitement in his eye sockets.   
Sally was smiling as well, a pinkish tint on her cheeks. She just stared up at Jack for a moment before blinking, and giving a reply. She stammered, "O-Oh! Y-yeah..hi.." She took a second to fix her hair, tucking a piece behind her ear. "Um..th-thank you. It's very...l-lovely to see you as well.."   
Jack's smile seemed to widen as he beamed at the sound of her voice. It had just been too long since the two last spoke. He couldn't help but take a mental note on how cute she looked- the pink on her face and her hand nervously toying her hair.   
The skeleton was happy to reply, in a calm, gentle manner.   
"Thank you. So, what have you been up to lately?" He asked, genuinely curious. "I know it's been quite a bit since we've last talked." 

"Oh..um..." Sally played shyly with her hands. "I've just...been doing what I usually do, I-I guess...I made a new dress the other day..."

"That sounds wonderful, Sally! I'd love to see it sometime. I'm very glad you've found something to do that you enjoy." He blinked at her.  
The Ragdoll looked pleased as well, the pink on her face growing a bit pinker. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as someone in the crowd called out.   
"-Sally Sews?"  
Jack turned towards them, placing a bony hand on Sally's shoulder.   
"She sure does." He answered, " And, I think she's one of the best seamstresses I know." The skeleton winked at her. Sally bit her lip.

"Oh..I'm n-not really a seamstress-"

"Can you make baby clothes?"   
A voice rose out of the crowd. Jack's attention shifted off of Sally momentarily, looking over to see a lady standing a few paces behind her. She had pale skin, long black hair and horns. She was also clearly pregnant- not at all a common sight in Halloween Town. The Ragdoll turned around, and after taking a moment to eye the woman before her, she answered,  
"Ah..well...I've never tried before, but, I'm sure it can't be too hard." Smiling, the woman then asked Sally if she wouldn't mind making some for when her baby is born, to which Sally happily agreed.

Jack listened carefully while they talked. He couldn't help but admire Sally's kindness- it could take days to complete a task like making clothing, and on top of that, Sally would be busy with any other work or chores or hobbies she already had to do. Yet the Ragdoll still agreed...very sweet of her, Jack noted. He smiled to himself as the nice young lady thanked Sally, and gave her a hug. Sally turned back around toward the crowd- making eye contact with Jack almost instantly. His smile stuck.

"That's very sweet of you, Sally" he complimented, taking notice of the red flush that spread across her nose. He didn't think much of it, other than that it looked...rather cute on her, he admitted silently to himself.   
The pregnant demon patted Sally's hand. "Isn't it? That's such a lovely talent you have, dear" The woman told her. "Why, someday you'll even be able to make clothing for your own children! Without having to bother someone else to do it! Very, very lovely."

Jack watched as Sally's eyes widened, a look of shock in her features. She seemed taken aback by that comment- as if it took her completely off guard. She blinked, her blush deepening.   
He felt a twinge or pity for her somewhere in his ribcage. She looked...almost embarrassed. Like she wanted to get out of there quickly. But, he couldn't imagine why. That comment itself was innocent. The skeleton felt as if he was...missing something. 

"-Awwww can you imagine?" Someone from the crowd shouted. "Sally with her own kids..She would make a fantastic mother! Don't you think so Jack?" He looked up, interrupted from his thoughts.   
"Hm? Oh, yes." Jack turned his gaze back to the Ragdoll, making eye contact once more. "I do think so" he couldn't help but smile wider. He'll admit it...Sally did seem like the motherly type who would be good at raising kids. Plus, the idea of Sally with children was...well....adorable to him. 

She looked up at him momentarily, before sighing, eyes going half lidded. The embarrassment was gone from her face, and replaced with a look of utter bliss. Jack wasn't quite sure why...and he probably would have remained unsure, if it wasn't for what she said next.

"-You would make the perfect father~"

....

".....what....?" 

Jack's smile fell off his face. His sockets widened as he stared at her.  
'...did....did she mean to say that...?'   
He wondered, but one look at her face gave him all his answers. No. She definitely did not mean to say that.   
If he thought she looked embarrassed before, she definitely was now. In fact, Jack had never seen such a look of utter panic sweep over someone's face in such a quick amount of time. The poor thing looked absolutely mortified. 

Jack was...confused to say the least. He probably could've handled the situation better if he were able to think this through, but, his mind felt broken. Inside his head, all he could really think was, 'what'.

So he just stared.   
That was, until Sally went off, attempting to explain herself.

"I-I mean- I th-think that -y-you would m-make a better father than I would a mother! I mean you probably have more experience with kids than I do anyway and you're like a really nice guy and stuff and everyone likes you so if anyone would be good with taking care of kids it would be you instead of me is what I meant because everyone knows that you like children and stuff and you-you-you would make a better father than I would a mother I mean I'm not saying that I wouldn't make a good mother I mean if you think that than thank you but I still agree with my original statement oh wow look at the time" Sally ranted, spinning around. "Well now it's getting late so I better get home because you know I gotta make supper for the doctor and I can get to work on those baby clothes thanks for having me in town bye-bye!!" 

And with that, she ran off. Away from everyone. Away from town. 

——

Jack stared in the direction she left, still not moving or saying anything. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have known what to say.   
Everyone was silent. There was a certain noticeable awkward tension in the air that made Jack's bones ache. Fortunately, shortly after, someone broke the silence. 

".....what.....what just happened...?"   
The crowd stirred as more people joined in with their comments.

"I don't know...."  
"Is Sally okay..?"   
"What the heck did she mean by that?"  
"...Do we really wanna know?"

A few people chuckled. Jack ignored them, his sockets still stuck to the path Sally exited. Maybe...he should follow her? Make sure she's alright? She did seem upset with the way she fled. He barely noticed the mayor look up at him.  
"Jack..are you alright?" The politician asked. Jack didn't respond. The crowd continued. 

"Sounds like Sally wants to have Jack's babies..."  
"-What female in this town doesn't want to have Jack's babies?" 

More giggling.  
At this point, Jack, who was listening to every word, had had enough. Finally, it seemed time for him to pull himself together and silence everyone before someone says something they'll regret. The skeleton blinked, clasping his hands together to get their attention.

"ALRIGHT, everyone. That will be quite enough of that, thank you." He said, his voice edged with annoyance. "No more comments will be necessary..."  
Everyone quieted down, although not before more giggling was heard. The Mayor looked back up at the King.  
"...what are we going to do now, Jack?" He asked. The skeleton glanced back and forth between him and the main gate exit. He sighed, his mind made up. He absolutely could not just let Sally go like that. He needed to make sure she was okay. He turned back towards his crowd, who were waiting patiently.   
"Okay, everyone. Please, return to any assignments you may have to complete. We may be ahead of schedule, but we all know how easy it can be to fall behind, so I want everyone to do as much as possible. Now, if you'll excuse me...." He passed through the crowd, heading in the direction his Ragdoll friend fled a few moments ago. "....I'll..I'll just be one moment." He nodded his head once, before slipping his way through the gate, and beginning to head down the crooked path in search of his dear friend. 

——

The situation was only now starting to sink in as the skeleton walked. Now that a few minutes had passed, his mind was really starting to fuzz as he tried to make some kind of sense of all this.

'I just don't get it....did she really mean what she said? I mean...maybe you just misunderstood her. She did try to explain herself...oh, but! That sounds right but if feels...wrong! Like the way she explained her words seemed logical but...it doesn't feel correct. It's almost like there's more to this...'

Jack scratched the side of his skull in annoyance.

'Surely, I must be missing something....perhaps I'm overthinking this...' 

He sighed, shifting his gaze from the trail at his feet up to in front of him. He stopped in his tracks.  
Sitting down against the wall not too far ahead of him was the exact person he was looking for. 

Sally

She was hunched over on the ground, covering her face with her hands. Jack winced at the sight- she really did look upset. Now he was glad he followed her out here. He walked towards her, noting a few things on the way. Despite her position, she didn't seem to be crying, which was good. He could also tell that she hadn't noticed him there yet.  
Not wanting to scare her, he softly called her name as he approached.  
"...Sally?"  
He saw her flinch, but otherwise, she remained motionless. She also didn't reply. The skeleton sat down next to her.  
Normally, he would've taken this silence as a hint that she wanted to be left alone, and would've done such.But, after what happened, he wouldn't live with himself knowing he abandoned her when she needed reassurance. It was more than obvious that she was still upset.   
He spoke to her again.  
"Sally..? Are you okay?"  
This time, he heard her sigh. A sigh of defeat- he recognized it anywhere.Gradually, his friend lifted her head. He could see her face now, but she wasn't looking at him in the eye. She gave a weak smile, even choking out a bit of nervous- and fake- laughter.  
"W-what? Me? Ahhahah, o-of course! Why wouldn't I be..?"   
The skeleton frowned at her, stifling a sigh himself. She claimed to be okay, but he knew that wasn't true. He could see it in her eyes.

'...she...she thinks I'm upset with her, doesn't she?' 

He thought. After all, it would make sense. But that wasn't the case. Jack wasn't even close to upset with her- he just didn't want her to feel bad.   
"Sally please, I just wanted to make sure you were okay..." When he saw her smile fall, he added reassuringly, "..I'm not upset" 

Sally blinked, looking up at him. She stayed frowning, but at least she was speaking to him now.   
"You're...you're not?"  
"Of course not." He scooted a tad closer to her. "You just worded your sentence wrong. It's alright. Happens to everyone. Once you explained yourself, I knew what you meant."   
Even though he said it, he wasn't sure if he fully believed it. Apparently she meant to say that he would make a better father than she would a mother? Does...does that even make sense? But he put that out of his skull immediately, figuring it would be better for the both of them if he just took it anyway. 

"Y-Yeah..." The Ragdoll stammered. "I'm sorry..."   
Jack shook his head. "Don't be. Really, Sally, you're perfectly fine. I just wanted to make sure you weren't too embarrassed." His smile returned as he added, "We wouldn't want to ruin our friendship now, would we?"   
She smiled.  
"No..we wouldn't. Thank you, Jack..." He nodded to her.  
"You're welcome. Now..."   
The king stood up, brushing off his suit as he did. He turned back around and held his hand out to her, offering to help her up. After a moment, she took it, and he helped her to her feet with ease. A small pink tint came to her cheeks.

"Let's just put this behind us, shall we?" 

Sally nodded. "Gladly" 

Jack felt a thump somewhere in his ribcage as their eyes met, followed by more as Sally smiled gratefully up at him. He smiled back.  
Despite all the confusion of today, he felt genuinely happy. Happy to have helped Sally. Happy to be Sally's friend. Happy to just be here with her. Happy just to see her. 

Maybe someday.....  
I'll understand why....

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh I'm so happy this is finally finished and I can post it! ^^  
> Like I said, this was a commission I did for my little sister, who wanted me to write about an embarrassing thing that happened to Jack and Sally, particularly Sally, that takes place back when they were just friends. She also wanted it to involve the concept of 'having a baby' somehow. So, this is what I did!  
> Like I said this is one of my first ever fics. Thank you so much for reading it! <3


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